Author Topic: Super easy focaccia using ciabatta (Read 4095 times)

fazzari · « **on:** May 31, 2012, 05:43:50 PM »

I've been looking for the simplest way to make delicious bread for sandwiches....and I think this may be it, as it is not only delicious, but so simple a child could do it. This focaccia is based on a recipe by Ciril Hitz, and I adjusted the procedure to make it as easy as i could. The recipe will fill a 13 X 10 inch sheet pan perfectly.

The ingredients
Poolish
Bread flour 11.6 oz (I used All Trumps)
Water (70 degrees) 11.6 oz
Instant yeast pinch

Final dough
Bread flour 21.6 oz
Water 14.3 oz
Instant yeast .10 oz
Salt .6 oz
Poolish all of it

I mix my poolish in the kitchen aid mixing bowl and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 16 hours. After the poolish has ripened, add the remaining ingredients and mix for 6 minutes on lowest speed. Then up the speed a notch and mix an additional 2 minutes.

The hydration level is very high, so the dough is pourable. I pour the dough into a large oiled stainless steel bowl and cover with plastic. Every 30 minutes, wet your hands, and do a stretch and fold, in the bowl and then recover with plastic. After 4 stretch and folds, pour your dough onto a well oiled (olive oil is delicious for this) sheet pan, and let set for a 30 minutes. Every ten or so minutes I use an Italian herb infused olive oil mixture and push the dough out to the corners. After the 30 minutes are up, place in a 450 degree oven and bake.....should take 25 to 35 minutes. The focaccia rises high enough to split for sandwiches, and has a nice crispy top and bottom...and best of all, clean up is a snap!!
DEElish
John

norma427 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2012, 07:10:48 PM »

John,

Your super easy focaccia looks delicious!

Norma

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2012, 03:00:19 PM »

Beautiful bread, and Ciril Hitz is a freaking bread genius.

Jet_deck · « **Reply #3 on:** June 03, 2012, 04:14:15 PM »

That would make a killer pannini as well, thanks.

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #4 on:** June 03, 2012, 06:07:00 PM »

Check this out http://breadhitz.com/

fazzari · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2012, 11:00:26 PM »

Quote from: dmcavanagh on June 03, 2012, 06:07:00 PM

Check this out http://breadhitz.com/

If your a fan of Hitz, he has some interesting things on You tube too
http://www.youtube.com/user/breadhitz

John

SinoChef · « **Reply #6 on:** June 05, 2012, 03:06:53 AM »

Looks great!

Anyone have a book from him?

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #7 on:** June 05, 2012, 05:12:14 AM »

He has a couple of books I've borrowed from the library, one on breads and the other is on pastries. Both come with a DVD to show some of his shaping techniques. The DVD's are worth the price of the books all by themselves. They are not big books but very informative.

deb415611 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2012, 06:57:56 AM »

Quote from: SinoChef on June 05, 2012, 03:06:53 AM

Looks great!

Anyone have a book from him?

I have his Baking Artisan Pastries & Breads - mostly pastry - the bread in the book is brioche based and quick breads. I took a class in Oct at King Arthur Flour that he taught featuring pastries & breads from the book -fast paced 8 hour class, it was awesome.

I'm going to try this recipe for foccacia. It looks great.

dmcavanaugh - I don't know how close you are to KA but his class was great if you ever get a chance to take one when he is teaching there.

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #9 on:** June 05, 2012, 12:46:18 PM »

deb415611

Thanks for the info, I'd love to attend one of his classes. I'm about 150 miles from KA, have had it in the back of my mind sereval times to drive up to the store, this gives me more motivation.

deb415611 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 06, 2012, 06:24:12 PM »

he also has a facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/breadhitzcom/208222794107

I had forgotten about it but he just did a post

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #11 on:** June 07, 2012, 10:29:29 AM »

I just finished making the poolish for @fazzari's recipe from above. No All Trumps, GM Better for Bread will have to suffice. Am anxious to see how it turns out.

fazzari · « **Reply #12 on:** June 07, 2012, 12:49:12 PM »

Quote from: dmcavanagh on June 07, 2012, 10:29:29 AM

I just finished making the poolish for @fazzari's recipe from above. No All Trumps, GM Better for Bread will have to suffice. Am anxious to see how it turns out.

My only suggestion is that you liberally oil your sheet pan to make sure the bread doesn't stick...also gives great flavor

John

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #13 on:** June 07, 2012, 04:28:17 PM »

fazzari

Thanks John, I have some excellent Chicago Metallics non stick jelly roll pans that I use for this style, they handle this kind of dough like a dream.

patnx2 · « **Reply #14 on:** June 08, 2012, 01:57:20 AM »

Anyone done a bakers % of this dough. I'd love to try a quarter sheet pan of this recipe. It looks so good and fairly easy. Thanks, Patrick

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #15 on:** June 08, 2012, 12:35:45 PM »

This is a big dough, it may fill a half sheet!

dwighttsharpe · « **Reply #16 on:** June 08, 2012, 01:08:50 PM »

Quote from: patnx2 on June 08, 2012, 01:57:20 AM

Anyone done a bakers % of this dough. I'd love to try a quarter sheet pan of this recipe. It looks so good and fairly easy. Thanks, Patrick

This is what I came up with for the formula listed in the original post, using a 13 x 10" pan. Everything is accounted for except the "pinch of yeast" in the poolish(Preferment):

Total Formula:
Flour (100%):    941.33 g | 33.2 oz | 2.08 lbs
Water (78%):    734.24 g | 25.9 oz | 1.62 lbs
Salt (1.8%):    16.94 g | 0.6 oz | 0.04 lbs | 3.04 tsp | 1.01 tbsp
IDY (.3%):    2.82 g | 0.1 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.94 tsp | 0.31 tbsp
Total (180.1%):   1695.33 g | 59.8 oz | 3.74 lbs | TF = 0.46

Preferment:
Flour:    328.9 g | 11.6 oz | 0.73 lbs
Water:    328.9 g | 11.6 oz | 0.73 lbs
Total:    657.8 g | 23.2 oz | 1.45 lbs

Final Dough:
Flour:    612.43 g | 21.6 oz | 1.35 lbs
Water:    405.34 g | 14.3 oz | 0.89 lbs
Salt:    16.94 g | 0.6 oz | 0.04 lbs | 3.04 tsp | 1.01 tbsp
IDY:    2.82 g | 0.1 oz | 0.01 lbs | 0.94 tsp | 0.31 tbsp
Preferment:    657.8 g | 23.2 oz | 1.45 lbs
Total:    1695.33 g | 59.8 oz | 3.74 lbs | TF = 0.46

dwighttsharpe · « **Reply #17 on:** June 08, 2012, 04:33:42 PM »

Please delete this post.

dmcavanagh · « **Reply #18 on:** June 09, 2012, 08:10:28 PM »

@fazzari

I made this recipe with a slightly different twist, I did a two day cold ferment (timing issues) but it came out great. I topped mine with garlic, basil, oregano and some pretzel salt. I submitted a picture for SLICE'S My Pie Monday, you will probably see it there this coming Monday, if not, then A week from Monday. BTW, it was delicious, kinda tastes like a garlic pretzel!

Giggliato · « **Reply #19 on:** June 26, 2012, 12:40:17 PM »

I've been making this style of focaccia for awhile. I don't mix the dough outside of the bowl though. What I have been doing is picking up the doughball and allowing gravity to stretch it down. I imagine this straightens out the gluten strands a bit.